Distract me from my thoughts, once more.

[nymphadorauror]

Date: Thursday May 18, 2000
Time: 6ish pm
Place: London, Charlie’s shack
Characters Involved: Charlie and Tonks
Rating: PG-13?
Complete

Comments

[charlie_weasel]

Days in England, without employment, were dreadfully long and droll. At first, it could be fun, relieving even. But this time was different- this bout of unemployment seemed, to Charlie, dark- forboding. He felt as if he was in for a long run here. No one wanted to hire a drunken, artist/ex-Seeker, lazy Weasley.

But he had a remedy.
Charlie Weasley always had something up his sleeve.

And usually it contained alcohol.

After having procured a few crates of all varieties of booze from Diagon Alley (and a couple of rather rare finds from the Knockturn side), he was ready to batten down the hatches at the Shack. There wasn't anything else to do anyway.

Paint? No. He was getting bored with it.
Write? No. Tedious lately.

Drink? Good idea, Charlie.

In a shoddy old wool jumper (grey and black stripped), whose sleeves were pulled past his hands, a ratty scarf (knitted by a Mrs. Molly Weasley in the early 80s), his usual cords, and holy socks Charlie had just fetched himself a glass to begin a night of frivolity.

But then he spilled some of the firewhiskey, burning himself slightly, when there came a loud knocking on the front door. Charlie pushed his glasses back up his nose and clawed at his hair in an attempt to bring it under control. Sighing, he hopped over the still stacked crates and swung open the wooden door.

"Yes?"

[nymphadorauror]

Tonks had stepped away from the door, to anxiously glance around the area, as if she was waiting for something to happen while she stood outside. When the door finally opened and she heard Charlie’s rather annoying greeting, she stepped back up to the front door with a lopsided grin.

“Is this a bad time?” She asked, lightly teasing his way of answer his door. One hand went to her hip as she shifted her weight on her feet.

“I get the feeling I’ve interrupted something of great importance… so which is it? Booze or women? One I can handle interrupting… the other… I don’t even want to know.”

He was a pleasant sight to see, and Tonks realized, as she looked at Charlie, that it had been a long while since she had spent time with him. For all she knew, he didn’t even want to accept her company and was wishing to be alone. She had no clue as to why he left so suddenly, and hoped he wasn’t dealing with a lot of issues to make him reject her. This thought made Tonks change up her tone of voice and ease away from a nagging stance.

“Will you let me in…. please?”

[charlie_weasel]

Charlie squinted for a minute, trying to figure out who was interrupting his date (yes, it was with himself. But.). Then he heard her voice. Oh good.

"Why, Tonks. I didn't think I'd be seeing you for a while," he said, taking a step outside and closing the door slightly behind. His face acquired a look of slight worry, mixed with regret (odd combination). "Actually... You are interrupting. I have a- a friend over."

He let himself grin sheepishly as he let the thought sink in on Tonks. Then laughed.

"Actually. Just booze tonight." She looked sad. "And of course you can come in." Charlie pushed the door open and stepped back into the light. He raised an eyebrow. "Drink?"

[nymphadorauror]

Tonks didn’t try to hide her shock when Charlie pretended to have company. Her jaw loosened and her eyes grew wide, not knowing what to say or do in response to her ‘interruption’. He had caught her completely off guard, and his expression, as he spoke, was not helping.

What a minute….

“You bastard.” Tonks muttered breathlessly as she realized Charlie had teased. His expression had lightened, and soon she heard him laughing, which made her reach over and playfully hit him on the arm. “That was awful!” she commented, with more volume then last she had used.

When he reopened his door and offered a drink, she blew past him quickly and welcomed herself into his house, especially since there was no ‘company’ and his teasing was solely for his own enjoyment. That selfish pig!

“Yes….. that would be nice, since you are obviously starting the night early!” She stepped passed the front entrance and moved into his flat without looking back at him, but instead surveying the house in its current condition. She noticed there was plenty to drink, and that made her think back on their conversation in journal.

“So you are a liar….” Tonks mumbled as she walked up to his kitchen table.

[charlie_weasel]

Charlie laughed still at Tonks' expression when he'd said he had company. So maybe there was something there. Granted, her look was one of shock- it was still excellent. She brushed past him with indignation and airs. He followed her in, closing the door behind him.

Once over the boxes and after settling back into his seat, Charlie's gaze turned onto the girl. She looked like a wreck. "Well. Not completely a liar. I wasn't going to drink all of it tonight. I was planning on splitting it into two parts. Half tonight, half tomorrow- Oh yes, your drink."

He got back to his feet and grabbed a scuffed mug from the crate next to what used to be a sink. He picked up the bottle of Firewhiskey. "What do you want? I have almost everything they do at the Leaky."

[nymphadorauror]

With a huff and puff, Tonks removed her cloak and draped it over a chair at the table. “Sure, you say that now.”

She had every reason to believe he would attempt to drink his stock in one night; after all he was an aspiring drunk. Ok, well Tonks truly didn’t believe that, but what else could she conclude when looking at what he had in his house. Nothing inside was of furnishings worthy to call furniture, but crates full of liquor that could quite possibly amount to the same price as decent household things. It was a bit perplexing, and highly suspicious.

“Well, I suppose I should just come here now, instead of the Leaky… But the service is probably better there anyway.” She turned to look at Charlie who was holding a bottle of Firewhiskey. She assumed that is what he was drinking.

“Whatever you are having, I can handle.”

But she was still very curious and couldn’t just blow it off any longer, regardless of previous journal entries and assumptions.

“Splitting it up into two nights still seems a bit…. extreme…even if you admit to being that way by birth, or whatever. What’s so important to drink so…much for?” She tried to not sound like his mother, or show signs of disturbance, as she inquired about his many bottles. It did bother her to see someone drink as much as Charlie could, for what fun was it to get obliterated on a daily basis?

[charlie_weasel]

"No, there's better service here." Charlie began pouring Tonks' beverage when she told him she could handle it. He grinned and nodded. "Right," he mumbled, then looked up with raised eyebrows. Was she inquiring about his drinking habits again? Didn't she have her own problems to attend to-- oh right, that was probably why she was here.

His expressions softened as he brought Tonks her ordered drink (which was smoking in a lovely way, Charlie noted). "It's important to forget certain things." Charlie picked up his own drink and held it up as in 'Cheers!'

[nymphadorauror]

Tonks smirked at his retort to service, wondering just what exactly would make his service better than the Leaky's, and then thought she might not want to even know that answer.

When he handed her the drink, she took it with a smile, even if she had noticed his expression prior to bringing her drink over to her. Was it wrong to question a drunk for being a drunk? But he seemed to blow off the issue, so she figured she could do the same- for now.

“But they never stay forgotten.” She replied faintly, even though she lifted her glass to mimic Charlie’s action. “Things just don’t ever go away as easily as all that….” She rambled on, and then cut herself off by taking a sip of firewhiskey. It made her face cringe and coughs roll in her throat.

[charlie_weasel]

Charlie downed his shot of Firewhiskey quickly and smiled, smoke issuing from his teeth. He started pouring himself a second, looking over at Tonks as she spoke quietly. (He wasn't afraid of spilling. He did this often enough.)

"As easily as drinking it away, you mean?" Asked Charlie, clearing his throat slightly. "It's really not that easy. I mean- well, haven't we been over this?"

Inwardly he wondered if he should be asking why she was here. Should he be all sensitive-like? Tonks didn't seem like she was falling apart (yet), but she wasn't exactly in order. Maybe it would be best to get her drunk before prying.

[nymphadorauror]

She decided to find a seat somewhere, if one could be taken, so her feet wandered around casually, and so did her eyes. Would it be a crate, a dinning set chair, a beat up cushiony chair, or the floor? Decisions, decisions. Tonks’ attention was stolen from such decisions as Charlie asked her about her words.

“I suppose we have…I am just trying to understand you as much as I can, is that so bad? Or Wrong? Or should I drop the issue forever and ‘forget’?” She titled her head at him as an eyebrow arched curiously. While she spoke she subconsciously took up a spot on one of the chairs that looked to have been in a fire, and a dump, at one time in it’s life.

“I’m just…well…. Can’t I worry about your health without feeling guilty about it?”

[charlie_weasel]

Charlie stared at Tonks as she sank into what was actually his favourite chair (he'd taken it from some old bloke's rubbish after the man's apartment set fire). Before answering Charlie quickly drank up his second helping and began filling himself another glass.

His eyes were locked on the bottle. "Really, Tonks." He sounded exasperated, but he was really more embarrassed. "I'm fine. I mean, worry if you wish. But I haven't had a drink in a week and I don't intend to waste what I have tonight."

[nymphadorauror]

Tonks let loose a deep sigh, letting the ‘worry’ of his obsessive drinking habits slip off her shoulders and become something of the past. She didn’t understand herself sometimes. One moment she was worried about herself, and the next she transferred that emotion onto someone else, someone who didn’t really need Tonks to fret, and could take care of himself just fine. She had some serious issues she needed to put in check if she wanted to survive the entire night at his place. OH, that was an entire issue of itself. Would he let her stay until sunrise?

“I’ll stop… promise.” Was all she could say in response to his aggravated tone. And to make sure she would quit being a nag, she down a large gulp of her drink without another word, except coughing soon followed. Thankfully she was sitting down, else she might have toppled over from coughing.

When she was able to recuperate from her powerful drink, she twisted in her seat and then bent down toward her feet.

“Would you mind if this worry-wart stayed for awhile?” If he agreed, she had every intention to take off her shoes and plant herself into the chair as long as was possible.

[charlie_weasel]

Not feeling anything from the whiskey, Charlie moved on to his fourth drink. He held the cup up to his lips, watching Tonks choke over the rim. When she stopped he allowed himself to drink. At least she'd promised to stop badgering him.

His eyebrows then shot up again at her question. "Stay 'a while'? How long is 'a while'?" Charlie grinned mischievously, trying not to be too suggestive. He let out a small laugh. "No, I don't mind."

Where was she going with this?

[nymphadorauror]

Her fingers fiddled with laces, as best they could, while one hand had hold of her mug.

“Well…. --Oh don’t give me that look!” She had glanced up to try and answer the best she could, without revealing all of her problems, when she saw his grin and knew, one hundred percent, that he was thinking something she would not be happy about.

“A while, Charlie… you know.. a lengthy bit of time to where I could relax and spend hours without a care.” She teased sternly, wishing to correct whatever indecent thought had corrupted her innocent question. But then her thoughts broke past her irritation, and Tonks worried that perhaps he didn’t remember their previous arrangements, or would rather cancel them out completely. Please tell me you haven’t forgotten that, amongst everything else you are trying to forget.

“I had thought you wouldn't mind if I needed to do that, from time to time? Visit and all that. If not, I can understand, but I’d ask that you’d tell me now… before….” Before it got dark

She wouldn’t say it, even if it made her point. No, she refused to talk about any of it, and she hoped Charlie had enough sense to not ask her… not yet. Her fear made her indulge in another harsh sip.

[charlie_weasel]

"Ohhh. That's what a while means. Thank you.-- And I don't mind. Which is why I said so when you asked. You're always welcome here. I don't forget everything I say." He took a small sip from his cup, blew a smoke ring, and watched it wander closer to the short ceiling before disappearing.

Charlie smiled and looked back at Tonks. "Spend hours here without care. S'all the same to me. It's what I do.-- Did I tell you?" So, maybe his tongue was loosening up a bit. "I got fired from Gringotts. The fuckers."

[nymphadorauror]

Tonks studied Charlie for a moment, not totally sure his words were serious, but after a moment she realized they were and dropped that issue too. Merlin, things seemed to keep getting troublesome between them, and she felt like she was causing it. Maybe it was better to be a recluse, and not worry about screwing up perceptions with assumptions and miscommunication. But that wouldn’t help Tonks tonight, to be alone; she knew it deep down and was forcing herself to not retreat or do anything else that would risk either her person or her mind.

“Alright… I get it.” She said with a roll of her eyes, and then proceeded to try again at untying her shoes. It was proving to be unsuccessful with one hand. Though, Charlie interrupted her task again by what he now revealed to her.

“Fired?! Why for?” She shot up from her bent posture, nearly spilling Firewhiskey all over her nice work blouse.